Hello, I have a stock 2012 JK and hate the suspension. It's pretty bouncing and rolly, etc. I've been towing occassionally (10-12 times a year) with mostly light loads and a 16ft dual axle trailer. Mostly motorcycles and gear, furniture, etc. The most recent time towing i could really notice the Jeep felt like the front wheels were a bit "lifted" and I was getting a lot of steering drift going down the highway. I suppose the rear was squatting a bit as you would expect.

So I want to put on some better shocks that will be good for street driving (95% of what I do) as well as good for when I'm towing. What do you suggest?

I have a 1995 YJ with 33" mud tires, 4" lift, etc. etc. that I use for off roading. So my JK is mostly a grocery getter.

 

Just looking at your pic, it looks to me like you have way too much weight on the tongue. If the motorcycles were moved back over the axles it would be much better. When loading a trailer you have to find the fine line between not too much tongue weight and enough so that the trailer doesn't sway.

That being said, you could take a look at the tags on your rear springs. Depending on what part # you have, you may benefit from going to factory spring with a higher number i.e. slightly taller and stiffer. Factory springs are cheap and plentiful and would help keep the squat down while towing.

 

Thanks lowendrider, yes that pic is from last summer coming home from Mid-Ohio. I didn't really have it balanced well.

That said... i hate the bouncing and rocking suspension that I have now when city driving, pulling into the driveway, etc. A stiffer spring may help a bit with that. Would you recommend different shocks too?

 

Just a thought, how about some cheap air bags in the rear coils to push the rear end back up?

 

Check out Old Man Emu, they make some heavy duty shocks & springs that might work out well for you.

 

I put factory 19 front & 60 rear springs on my 12 & it tows great now. 5x12 trailer loaded to max many times and barely squats the jeep now. Plus much better ride overall.

 

I second this ^.
I run the OME medium duty rears with an AEV bumper and carrier along with a 35" tire/wheel combo. I can put a 2000lb camper back there and it barely squats it at all.
FWIW, the OME medium load spring is designed for a constant load if I remember correctly of around 400lbs.
I am very partial to OME suspensions as their spring rates are very well thought out. I have used them for years on everything from CJ's, TJ's, JK's and now most recently our 88 YJ. The springs are working out perfect for what I needed as there is an old school industrial Ramsey winch mounted that had caused the oem front springs to negative arch. The OME setup makes it seem like it's not even there.

 

No matter what you do to your rear, you gotta load that trailer better. I tow a lot between my F150 and the Jeep. The center of those bikes should be a little south of the
front axle.

 

Agree with this as well ^.

You want to keep the weight of whatever you are towing as close as you can to being distributed evenly over the axle/axles. Try to keep as much as you can off the tongue and at the very rear and that will help with the squat as well.

 

If you have close to the max spring, you can add airbag s to the stock suspension. Makes a big difference. I am adding them for towing my camper.